Student Bloggers

In less than two weeks, I will be on a plane. I’ve been on a plane before, several times actually. What will be different in two weeks is that I will be boarding the plane to leave the country for the first time. I will say “Bye” and “See You Later” with a knot in my throat and some teary eyes to my family, my boyfriend and friends. Despite my worries and nervousness though, I know everyone including myself, can’t even imagine how amazing the next four and a half months will be for me.

As a Latina and first generation college student coming from a single parent income and a big family, I never grew up dreaming about travel. I only dreamt about college. So when I started college, I woke up one day and said to myself: "Why not try to study abroad?" To be honest, I didn’t really have any particular place I was aiming for, I just looked for what called out to me most. I started by thinking about weather, language, food, etc. I also thought about my major, minor and career goals after college. By the end, New Zealand was calling out my name.

I won’t lie, I’m pretty nervous to be away from home for so long. Especially with a 21 hour time difference. I have young siblings at home who I am very close too, I help my mom out at home, and I have been with my boyfriend for four years now. So you can imagine my worries leaving. If there is one thing that I have learned though, it’s that I need to explore for myself while I still can. My family will all be home waiting for me when I come back in June. To help with the homesickness though, I will be packing pictures to surround myself with when I am feeling down. It works when I’m across California for college, so I know it will work across the world.

I am looking forward to all the beautiful scenery that I will get to soak in, the adventurous activities the program has planned, the classes I will be taking and the people I will meet. It’s still hard to believe sometimes that I am about to embark on a journey that I never pictured myself on. I’ll be exploring a new place on my own, and I know that when I come home, I will be a completely new person. My goal is to learn as much as I can, more specifically about indigenous cultures in New Zealand. I want to push myself out of my comfort zone as much as I can too- I’ll already be out of the country so why not push myself even further! 

Four and a half months isn’t that long when you think about your whole life, but it’s enough time to have the experience of a lifetime. In less than two weeks, I will be beginning that adventure!